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January 2012 - Accredited to Environmental Management System ISO14001

August 2012 - saw a higher number of enquiries than anticipated

October 2012 - New tooling coming on line

November 2012 - IQMS Information management system is giving better data for controlling the business

 

In detail: Accredited to Environmental Management System ISO14001

PMP have operated with a strong environmentally sound method for many years, ensuring all materials are recycled where possible and reducing energy costs. This has now been recognized by NQA (the awarding body) who stated during the final audit that “The visit was satisfactory. A positive recommendation for registration is made”.

The Environmental Management System alongside the Quality Management System is fully documented and shows increasing benefits both to the Company itself and to the wider community.  This is manifested in reducing operating costs for the Company besides helping employees have a wider understanding of the issues of Climate Warming.  PMP will continue to seek support from their suppliers and promote the benefits of being environmentally aware.

An improvement programme is fully actioned to further environmentally benefit our customers, employees and the wider community.  The improvement programme includes further reducing input energy and material costs by minimising wastage.  At the same time the Company is recycling increasing amounts of scrap materials.

The Company is a member of EEF and receives regular updates on health and safety and environmental issues.  This ensures that PMP stays up to date on current matters; in particular the wide range of legislation being introduced.

If you would like to know more details of the EMS within the Company, please email wayne.baldwin@pmpessex.co.uk

PMP Reduce tooling costs

The engineers at PMP have developed several ways of minimising the tooling costs. 

• Using one of our common bolster kits
• One stop shop – tool design, tool manufacture, tool trialling, production and assembly – all in-house
• Design out complexities from the component
• Manufacture the component with the Manumould system (manual loading and removal of the part
• Aluminium tooling
• Use one of our approved partners in China

What ever your requirement, Precision Moulded Products have the solution. 

Call Wayne Baldwin or Mike Knower for advice on 01371 876681.

Engineering

PMP have built their business around quality engineering, not just in terms of design but also manufacturing. 35 years ago, the founder of the business, Len Thompson, set out a vision to build a company based around the quality of tooling design.  This has evolved over the years to encompass tooling manufacture, component advice and injection moulding manufacture, still retaining the quality engineering aspects instilled by the founder.

Today the highly skilled engineering team is led by Technical Manager, Mike Knower backed-up by design engineers Mark Challis, toolmaker Bob Shrosbree and quality engineer Tony Lynch; between them they have over 120 years of experience!  There are not many situations and issues that they haven’t been able to overcome in their collective experience.  These range from complex multi impression automated tooling and manufacture to a “one-off” SLA/SLS prototype.

The list below is a selection of the tooling that has been design or manufactured over the past few years:

• Tooling design project – 2 shot moulding for Ford Fiesta
• Tooling design and manufacture for automatic pin insertion – 16 impression body for international gas measurement company
• Suite of tools for medical company, designed in UK manufactured in Far East, moulded by PMP
• Simple Manumould tool for outside broadcast camera support equipment, designed and manufactured in UK
• Combination tooling incorporating photo etched stainless steel mesh with Noryl engineering grade plastic.
• Carburettor tuning system – complete project including an overmoulded handle.

If you have a project that you think could benefit from our engineering experience, please call Wayne Baldwin or Mike Knower on 01371 876681 or email wayne.baldwin@pmpessex.co.uk or mike.knower@pmpessex.co.uk

Non Contact and Optical Measurement

To enhance their quality measurement techniques, PMP has recently invested in a Non Contact Optical Measuring Machine.  The machine has the ability to measure with a resolution accuracy 0f 0.001mm running the PCDmis Vision software.  The program enables the quality engineers to obtain fast repeatable results.  This latest generation of optical machines are able to measure in the Z axis with astonishing speed.  Outputs are available in a variety of formats to suit customer requirements.

Export order to USA

Precision Moulded Products have recently completed a large order of medical equipment components to San Antonio in Texas (San Antonio is best known for the home of the Alamo).

The components are used in a vacuum pump which enhances wound recovery.  PMP have worked with this company for a number of years developing a suite of tools which manufacture several interlocking plastic components. 

Managing Director, Wayne Baldwin commented that this was an important order for the company to continue its association with a prestigious company in USA.  He said this helps to cement our position as an outstanding engineering business with international connections.

Insert Mouldings take off

Precision Moulded Products launched a new service for insert mouldings last year and have seen a great surge in orders for these specialist mouldings. Insert mouldings are particularly suited to the Manumould process.  There are many advantages of insert moulding which include:

• Downstream Cost Reduction – the need for secondary post moulding operations can be greatly reduced by creating more complex components
• Assembly made easy – high precision metal components can be incorporated into the mouldings to allow components to be screwed or clipped together
• Component consistency – operator error is eliminated achieving high levels of consistency and precision
• Component complexity – a simple moulding tool can achieve a complex component by using a well machined metal insert
• Reduced Component size and weight – by combining the physical strength of the polymer and the metal insert, the insert moulding produces a smaller and lighter component
• Component cost reduction – as a simple tool can be used with the insert, this can lead to a component being lower cost to manufacture
• Increased design flexibility – designers can appreciate the virtually unlimited configurations that the insert plastic injection moulding process allows.

Investment and future proof

Precision Moulded Products have a strong programme of investment both in the infrastructure of the business and manufacturing equipment.  The company has invested in a new management control package which gives customers instant information on the state of their orders besides controlling stock and labour costs. 

PMP has also invested in the latest computer controlled Boy moulding machines which have shown considerable savings in power consumption and increased operating efficiency.  To enhance their quality management and measurement the company has also invested in a TESA optical measurement system. 

The company continues to invest in their most valuable resource, their skilled workforce.  Staff are continuously being trained in equipment and efficient manufacturing techniques.

New Management Control System

In November 2008 the new IQMS management control system went live with no disruption to the business activities.  The system is tailor-made for the injection moulding industry.  It controls all production activities, orders, purchasing and provides customers with instant information on the status of their orders (besides holding all the back information on products manufactured in the past).  The system also provides complete traceability of raw materials and manufacture. 

Managing Director, Wayne Baldwin says the new system has made a huge difference to the efficiency of our business. We can now plan our production measure costs and provide excellent management information.  IQMS gives the company a real competitive advantage. 

If you would like to know more about how IQMS has benefited PMP, please call Wayne on 01371 876681. 

Project Management System

PMP offer the complete service; from initial concept through to finished assembled component in a controlled environment.

PMP often work with OEM's own staff or third party product designers who need the injection moulding expertise with emphasis on the design for manufacture (DFM) cost reduction to compliment the customer's vision of product. The professional project management means deadlines are met and product development is not compromised.

PMP agree objectives and timescales whilst aware of project detail, e.g. the conversion from metal to plastic, complex technical components that have many permutations, combinations of parts, family tools to minimise cost, Far East and UK tooling, concept to design to SLA/SLS patterns to tools to end product.

The Project Management process normally follows this pattern:

• Free Design review
• Component design advice
• Prototype manufacture
• Tooling design
• Low cost tooling manufacture
• Injection moulding
• Assembly

If you have a product idea, why not give Wayne Baldwin or Mike Knower a ring on 01371 876681, to see how PMP could assist you.

How to manage China manufacture

Precision Moulded Products have many years of experience of dealing with the Chinese market and clearly understand the pitfalls of having tooling manufactured there.  So what have they learned over these years?

Firstly that it isn’t necessarily cheaper.  In all cases higher quality tooling comes from quality manufacturers not the many “back street” operators.  So when a tool is quoted from a Chinese manufacturer it is essential that the company has been visited and fully rated.  Drawings need to be approved before manufacture commences.  In addition, the tool manufacture needs to be monitored along the way.  This means visits to check on progress and inspection of certificates (nothing can be left to chance).  These management costs must be built into the total price of the completed tool. 

Secondly, be very wary of everything that is promised and agreed.  PMP take nothing as read and check every detail along the way both in UK and by maintaining close contact with the manufacturer in China.  PMP have their own engineers on site in Shenzhen and they are supported by visits from PMP engineers when necessary.

Every tool that is manufactured in China is supported by full project management with customers given a weekly update on progress.

If you would like to try our project management, why not give Technical Manager, Mike Knower a ring on 01371 876681 or email him on mike.knower@pmpessex.co.uk

Working with the Institute for Manufacture

For the past few months PMP has been working with John McManus from Institute for Manufacturing to improve efficiency, material handling, to provide a lower cost and better service to their customers. This has included an introduction to Lean Manufacturing techniques, focusing on identifying and minimising key efficiency losses. The factory is currently being re-planned to achieve faster throughputs and zero rejects.

John is a member of a team at the Cambridge based Institute that is responsible for developing innovative services to support small and medium sized manufacturers in the Eastern region. This has led to many successful interventions that have brought about significant improvements to the businesses involved and raised the profile of the IfM.  He has a particular interest in the implementation of World Class Manufacturing tools to create sustainable step changes in business performance and profitability.

Updated Quality Standard ISO9001

Precision Moulded Products were origonally certified in 1994 to BS5750 and more recent years to ISO9001. PMP have recently been recertified to the new ISO9001:2008 standard.  The company achieved this standard with no non conformance and Lead Auditor from NQA stated that the visit was satisfactory.  It sends a strong quality message to the customers that PMP is on top of their quality control. Certificate

Achieved Environmental Management System ISO14001 qualification

PMP have recently achieved EMS ISO 14001 qualification with the awarding body, NQA stating at the final audit that “The visit was satisfactory. A positive recommendation for registration is made”. Wayne Baldwin, Managing Director, commented that achieving ISO14001 is good for our customers, employees and the wider community. An improvement programme has been implemented which includes further reducing input energy and material costs by minimising wastage. At the same time the Company is recycling increasing amounts of scrap materials.